Event raises serious questions about security practices of the US Secret Service.

Share this story

A woman carrying four cellphones, two Chinese passports, and a thumb drive containing malware was arrested over the weekend after gaining access to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort under false pretenses, a court document alleged.

View more stories
The woman, identified as 32-year-old Yujing Zhang, on Saturday afternoon told a US Secret Service agent she was there to use the pool and produced the passports, a criminal complaint filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleged. She was admitted past a security checkpoint after a resort security manager verified that her last name matched the surname of a club member. A “potential language-barrier issue” raised the possibility she was the daughter of the member. She didn’t give a definitive answer when asked if she was there to meet anyone and was escorted to a front desk in a golf cart.

When questioned by a receptionist inside the club, Zhang said she was there to attend a United Nations Chinese American Association event later that evening, according to the complaint. The receptionist confirmed that no such event was scheduled and was unable to find Zhang’s name on any list of people approved to be past the security checkpoint.

When a Secret Service agent questioned Zhang further, she allegedly said she arrived early for the event so she could “familiarize herself with the property and take pictures.” Zhang then presented a document written in Chinese that she said was an invitation to the event. Agents were unable to confirm the documentation, because they didn’t know Chinese. Besides noting no such event was scheduled to take place that evening, agents also remarked that her claim she was there to attend a UN event differed from the reason she gave a different agent earlier, that she was there to use the pool.

Agents eventually took Zhang to a different location and asked further questions of her. According to the complaint, an agent “freely and without difficulty” conversed in English with her and informed her she had unlawfully gained entry to the club. Zhang became “verbally aggressive.” She was then transported to a Secret Service office in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she signed a statement waiving her Miranda rights.

According to the complaint, which was signed by Secret Service Agent Samuel Ivanovich:

During the second interview of Zhang, she claimed her Chinese friend “Charles” told her to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach, Fla., to attend this event and attempt to speak with a member of the president’s family about Chinese and American foreign economic relations. Agents were unable to obtain any information more specifically identifying Shang’s purported contact, “Charles,” as Zhang claimed she has only spoken to him via “WeChat,” which your affiant knows from investigative research to be the dominant instant messaging platform in China. Additionally, Zhang stated that she did not tell agents at the main checkpoint that she was going to the pool. And when the security guard told her the name of “Zhang,” she just thought it was the person running the event and she was going to meet them. However, your affiant notes that Zhang exhibited a detailed knowledge of, and ability to converse in and understand even subtle nuances of, the English language. For example, as agents were attempting to obtain written consent for examination of electronic devices found in her possession, Zhang read the entire form in English out loud to agents. Additionally, Zhang would question agents about the context of certain words throughout the form. In doing so, Zhang showed her understanding and comprehension of the English language through reading and speaking.

A search showed Zhang was carrying four cellphones, a laptop computer, an external hard drive, and a thumb drive. A preliminary forensic investigation found the thumb drive contained malware. Agents found no swimsuit in her possession. Zhang is charged with lying to a federal agent and gaining access to a restricted area. A Secret Service official declined to comment because of an ongoing investigation. No additional details were available about any of the items Zhang was carrying.

The event raises serious questions about how a person not on any access list and carrying malware and a suspicious number of electronics could so readily gain admittance to an area that was restricted under authority of the Secret Service. From the account provided in the complaint, it appears agents may have improperly relied on the word of a Mar-a-Lago security manager. The account comes after the recent surfacing of reports that a Chinese American who once owned massage parlors investigated for prostitution attended events at Mar-a-Lago. The woman, Cindy Yang, reportedly ran a website that promised access to Trump in exchange for political donations.

The affidavit lists the passport's origin as the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan. However, CNN, citing a US Attorney's Office spokeswoman, reported that both passports were from the People's Republic of China. President Trump reportedly stayed at Mar-a-Lago on the day of the alleged illegal entry, but he was not on the property at the time.

God I wish this was all happening one universe over, and we could watch it on the omni-TV instead of living in it.

I feel like the screenwriters are getting kind of lazy this season. None of this is remotely plausible. I'm having trouble suspending my disbelief.

I mean, the fact that it was a receptionist and not an agent really slams home the issue. Clearly Margo just wanted a part for her cousin and didn’t think anyone would notice if she didn’t have any lines. And yet...

“Charles” told her to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach, Fla., to attend this event and attempt to speak with a member of the president’s family about Chinese and American foreign economic relations

“Charles” told her to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach, Fla., to attend this event and attempt to speak with a member of the president’s family about Chinese and American foreign economic relations

Funny this comes up as news is out that dozens of people who were denied security clearances for the white house and related things had the denials overturned by Trump and his merry gang of useful idiots. People that were denied by experienced (we hope) professionals yet Trump overruled.

“Charles” told her to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach, Fla., to attend this event and attempt to speak with a member of the president’s family about Chinese and American foreign economic relations

Worst. Cover story. Ever.

About as bad as a meeting on adoption policy...

Horrible cover story, but Putin is up to date on his bribes and blackmail. It seems Zhang is not paid up on bribes, which is the issue here.

For $1,000,000 paid to Mar-A-Lago, an entire spy agency can get a package membership.

The event raises serious questions about how a person no on any access list and carrying malware and a suspicious number of electronics could could so readily gain admittance to an area that was restricted under authority of the Secret Service.

“Charles” told her to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach, Fla., to attend this event and attempt to speak with a member of the president’s family about Chinese and American foreign economic relations

Worst. Cover story. Ever.

About as bad as a meeting on adoption policy...

Horrible cover story, but Putin is up to date on his bribes and blackmail. It seems Zhang is not paid up on bribes, which is the issue here.

For $1,000,000 paid to Mar-A-Lago, an entire spy agency can get a package membership.

This is an outrage. Russia owns Trump fair and square, and China needs to respect Russian territory.

It’s game of nations, Russia is supposed to be China’s ally but recently Russian trolls have been participating in socia media caimpaigns to play China as a threat to westerners ( In Canada lots of Russian trolls were pushing fake news of dozens of Canadian citizens being rounded up in China for potential execution). I suppose it serves Putin if west start focusing on China as great evil so he can go about his business.

“Charles” told her to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach, Fla., to attend this event and attempt to speak with a member of the president’s family about Chinese and American foreign economic relations

Worst. Cover story. Ever.

About as bad as a meeting on adoption policy...

Yes, but that was true. It was the lead-in to try to influence Trump on the Magnitsky Act. The Russians retaliated by stopping US adoptions of Russian orphans, making the reason for the meeting vaguely plausible if people completely forgot the entire context. Which most media immediately did.

I have two passports - from different countries but there ARE legal reasons you may have two from one country, for example if one is a diplomatic passport (given to anyone in the public service traveling on official business in my country). Incidentally the article does not state that both passports are hers.

I have numerous thumb drives that I travel with. Given that I work in SE Asia and most people I work with have pirated versions of windows there is a good chance that at least one of them has malware on it.

I have an external hard drive. I also travel with two PCs and three mobile phones.

So what we have here is a woman who blagged her way into an exclusive resort with a very flimsy story. She is Chinese so there is the unwritten presumption it is Chinese state sponsored even though it is unlikely given how inept she was. The extra information is superfluous.

This IS bizarre, but par for the course (so to speak) these days. But I'm having problems with the outrage.

Security worked. Maybe not the first picket, but right after that bells rang in some employees heads, phones rang in somebody's pocket and the crazy lady was quickly and quietly neutralized.

The whole idea of of a resort owned (and visited) by a sitting president is bat shit crazy, but as I said, this is not particularly unusual these days.

Security Worked because this person was terrible at espionage. The sad part is, they just needed to pay more money to get access to the club. That's right. In order to get close to the president and people in his circle, you just need money. Let that sink in a bit and if it doesn't, well you may need to haul out the rocks and put some fertile soil down.